Riverside works

Following a visit to Eynsford some months ago with Kent Highways and the Parish Council, there was an investigation of measures to change priorities at Riverside. Highways officers concluded that a change of priorities had significant drawbacks, but that an alternative plan - to remove kerbing and replace it with reinstated yellow lines - could achieve many of the same aims.

Local residents were concerned I responded to residents’ concerns that this would result in a return to inconsiderate parking in the area by raising the matter with SDC’s parking enforcement officers and getting assurances that this would be enforced effectively. However, as of Wednesday and Thursday of last week, the works were suspended. The kerbing is set to be reinstated because of some BT Openreach fibre optic equipment which was previously shown as being under the road rather than the buildout (but which had been moved by BT Openreach, and against which the Council has no redress). Moving such equipment would be very expensive. Clearly all options will now need to be revisited, and I will be in contact with both Kent Highways and the Parish Council on this.

SD 341: delay at the last moment

As I reported in January, Network Rail had committed to installing a new railway bridge section to replace the unsafe bridge crossed by Right of Way SD341 in Crockenhill in March.

Preparations were advanced for this to take place early tomorrow (Sunday 17 March), with notices going out to residents in Green Court Road asking them to avoid parking that would block the very large lorry bringing the bridge section.

Yesterday, however, Network Rail's contractors had to take the decision to postpone the installation because of a forecast continuation of the high winds. This will result in a 13 week delay, from the anticipated Week 51 of the current financial year to Week 12 of the new financial year, which will take us to mid-June (around the time that the current closure of the path is due to end).

The delay is very disappointing, but hopefully the issue will be resolved in the summer; it has certainly been a problem, especially for walkers, for more than long enough.